Last week I showed you our first sunrise at the cabin we rented on South Harbor, just off the Cabot Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia. This little red squirrel hung out with us whenever we were at the cabin. It might have been our company, but I think the seed in the bird feeder was the bigger attraction.

Beautiful morning

If you’ve been following along on our travels to the Canadian Maritimes, you might have noticed the weather had been drab and wet. Our first morning on Cape Breton Island was gorgeous. The sun was finally shining down upon us.

Before heading out for a hike, M and I spent a little time at the cabin eating breakfast and checking out the critters. The owners of the cabin have several bird feeders around the outside of the cabin and there were plenty of visitors joining us for a morning meal.

It really was this colorful

I was going to jump ahead to our first hike, but I think we’ll just hang out at the cabin for a little while.

I could never grow tired of the view.

We’re having a sunny day here in the Bogs. The snow and ice are beginning to thaw again. This will be a short thaw followed by a short freeze followed by another thaw. Winter can’t decide whether to stay or go.

Trees on the shoreline between the harbor and the ocean

I hear Punxsutawney Phil predicted we’ll have an early spring this year. That’s not surprising when you consider how cloudy it’s been. (For those not in the know, if the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, it means an early spring.)

That wraps up this edition of Thursday Travels. Well, one more image…

…because I like watching the sunlight sparkle on the water.

Today’s prompt

Seeing, in the finest and broadest sense, means using your senses, your intellect, and your emotions. It means encountering your subject matter with your whole being. It means looking beyond the labels of things and discovering the remarkable world around you.

~ Freeman Patterson, Photography and the Art of Seeing

Today’s Capture Your 365 prompt is “Use your senses.” I think the good photographers do that all the time. An image may seem flat, but a good picture brings senses other than sight into it.

Orange slices

Food photography is an excellent example. I’ve seen some wonderful images of food that immediately bring to mind tastes, textures, scents, and even sounds (if it’s a crunchy food). Food photography is not my thing, but it is fun to play with occasionally and I thought it would be a good subject for the prompt. Besides, I needed to redeem myself after my last food post filled with white foods on white plates.

This is not a particularly good shot of Red Cabbage Slaw, but I like the play of light.

That’s it from the Bogs for today. I didn’t take my camera with me on my walk so you’ll have to imagine the sunlight on the snow and ice; the drip, drip, drip of the icicles thawing; the whistles of the pair of Red-tailed Hawks who have been spending the day perched in the trees at the edge of the meadow; the feel of the cool breeze on your face; and the earthy scent of mud.

More Red Cabbage Slaw because it’s so colorful. The dressing is made with olive oil, lemon juice & zest, and garlic.

Thanks for dropping by. Have a delightful day, evening, night… wherever and whenever you are on the spectrum of time. :)

I ran out to the balcony to get this glimpse of the pond (and ski tracks) for you.

You know it was really easy on the eye to enjoy some summer photos for a change. Seems like a long, long time ago. Your food pics also look colorful! Know you’ll enjoy some of the recipes on the cleanse.

Thank you, Kathy. I know just what you mean. Whenever I start sorting through the photos from Nova Scotia, the day seems brighter. We’ve been going through a gray spell lately so color is quite soothing right now. :)

These shots from around the cabin make me feel warm and on a day like today, I don’t want to turn away from the warmth they bring. It’s freezing here! I particularly like the last one with the light dancing on the water!

[…] After breakfast at the cabin, M and I drove a short distance to reenter Cape Breton Highlands National Park for our first Cape Breton hike. The day, as you may or may not recall from my previous Thursday Travels post, was gorgeous. […]

Where are you from?

Robin's Flickr Photos

Exercising for a Vitamix

I am paying myself to exercise with the intention of using the money to buy a Vitamix. $3.00 for a Breathless Body (or HIIT) workout. $3.00 for a Muscle Max workout. $1.00 for every mile I walk, hike, jog, bike, swim, etc. At that rate, it might take a while to save up for the Vitamix, but I should be in great shape by the time I get there.

Amount earned to date: $62.00

The Daily Walk

Are you missing the daily walk around the pond and Breezy Acres? Please join me over at Flickr where I am putting together a series called The Daily Walk 2013. I will post one or two (sometimes more) photos each day from my daily walks and bike rides, along with any thoughts that come to mind about the walks or the photos that seem worth sharing.